Ernest Hemingway
Often I am asked by readers of my novel if the book is based
on my life...is it true?
A book comes from the author's mind, imagination, and most
of all spirit. Scenes are real in the
mind of the author so in that way you can say it is true, or autobiographical.
But I think that the test of a good read, a nice work of
fiction, is that it seems real. The
locations, with their vibrant scenes and sounds and smells become vivid, and
the characters resonate with the reader, they may know someone like the
character. Sometimes characters are just
the opposite of who we are, both readers and writers, and then they live out
their adventures and fears and dreams in the novel while we watch vicariously. We may be amused by them, or feel an emotion
towards them, like love or hate.
So this does not mean that the characters and situations are
real, but that the author has done his job, that is, he/she has told his
truth. When you write from the heart,
the novel rings of truth.
